U.S Service Member Killed, 3 Others Wounded In Surprise Yemen Raid

SANAA, Yemen (CBSNEWS/AP) – A U.S. military service member was killed Sunday during a raid against al Qaeda militants in central Yemen that also left nearly 30 others dead, including women and children. The loss of the service member is the first-known combat death of a member of the U.S. military under President Donald Trump.

“Americans are saddened this morning with news that a life of a heroic service member has been taken in our fight against the evil of radical Islamic terrorism,” Trump said in a statement.

CBS News correspondent David Martin confirms the raid, carried out by Navy SEAL Team 6, was approved by Mr. Trump.

The U.S. has been striking al Qaeda in Yemen from the air for more than 15 years, mostly using drones, and Sunday’s surprise pre-dawn raid could signal a new escalation against extremist groups in the Arab world’s poorest but strategically located country.